Why was Guatemala’s colonial capital moved to Guatemala City in 1773?

The colonial capital of Guatemala was moved to the site of present-day Guatemala City by royal order following the devastating Santa Marta earthquakes of 1773.12

These powerful tremors leveled much of the former capital, Antigua Guatemala, destroying buildings that had been specifically designed to withstand seismic activity and causing significant loss of life. In the aftermath of this destruction, Spanish authorities decided to permanently relocate the administrative and religious center of the captaincy general to a safer location approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) to the east.21